Boohwal is a legendary rock band originating from South Korea. Since 1986, they’ve been through tremendous changes in members, in style; they’ve passed through so many challenges that only keep them going and become stronger and better every each day. Click here to check out [ALL MUSIC VIDEOS] of Boohwal over the years.

A lot of foreign fans don’t know how to get Boohwal’s CDs abroad, so please go to the red button on the right side to check out the sites where you can get their CDs abroad – please note that I DO NOT provide links for free downloads.

The “Rock Rock Rock” miniseries that was aired recently, taking the theme of Kim Tae-Won’s life story have drawn a lot of attention to Boohwal both from within Korea and internationally. Click on the correlating [Rock Rock Rock] button on the left to find the details about this drama.

You can find the list of most recent posts in this site on the left-hand side and categories organized below.
Top posts and comments could be found on your right-hand side, as well as monthly archive from March 2010-2011.

*On-record, this is post number 178 on https://boohwal.wordpress.com and right to this point of one-year anniversary, the blog has been visited over 46,200 times. Thank you for all of your never ending interest in Boohwal.* -겁많은사자, 18 March 2011-

[스타일기]부활 채제민⑤ 밴드에서 배운 교훈

“Lessons Learned From A Band”

Released 3 June 2010, 09.06 am

=Finally, the final part of Chae Jemin’s Star’s Diary. I specially post this one today coz it happens to be Jemin Oppa’s birthday~Happy Birthday, Jemin Oppa! 제민오빠 생일 축하드려요~^^~~Check out the complete version here. One more note, this article was published before Boohwal Music Academy which is run by Jemin Oppa was built, so that’s why you don’t find a hint of it~ check out the related news by clicking the name above~ ^^=

채제민에게 드럼 연주는 손과 발을 모두 움직이는 놀이이자 끝없는 공부다.

=For Chae Jemin, playing the drum is a game where he has to move his arms and legs, and a never-ending lesson=

Chae Jemin is very affectionate. His affection goes to many people. Family, friends, Boohwal. The drumsticks that’s been with him for 25 years. Never once he regretted his choice to do music. On contrary, he feels more attachment to music as time goes by. His pride grows as much as he’s poured (hard work) in his life.

“밴드에서 드럼은 기둥과 같다. 중심을 잡고 묵묵히 서야 밴드가 바로 설 수 있다.”

“In a band, the drum is like a pillar. The band could only stand up with the drum being a strong center.”

In reality, the drum is not glamorous. It’s always on the back of the stage. Only so many people give attention to it. Worse, in band recording, drummer position could be replaced. That’s how it was when he recorded Tisams Album. Their production company said that his skills weren’t good enough so they invited other drummer. The drummer was Moon Young-Bae. A veteran whose worked with “Love and Peace,” “Sin Jung-Hyeon,” and other great musicians. Chae Jemin’s self-esteem was hurt. He couldn’t take the fake recording. A shaking pillar, from the beginning. The result was as clear as the daylight.

After Tisams broke up, Chae Jemin saw only darkness in his future. The frustration led him to wander. He needed to find out how he could live a life of a musician. After wandering around for quite a while, he looked for Moon Young-Bae in his studio. He wants to become a real musician, thus he asked for Moon to take him as his student. He started a life being a chore boy who’d do all odd jobs. 4 years went by that way.

“드럼 기교와 음악인의 도리에 대해 많이 배웠다. 그때 선생님의 조언 덕에 지금의 내가 있을 수 있었다.”

“I learned a lot about drum skills and the way to being a musician. I am only here today thanks to my teacher’s advice.”

Chae Jemin transfers the teaching to the next generations through various means. Private lesson, music school, concerts. He enjoys teaching online music school. He was the first person to teach drum by video-lesson in Korea through an internet site “School Music”. The situation was really poor when he started. He could finally secure the server thanks to a close person’s assistance. He also produced all of the videos by himself.

“카메라맨을 구할 돈이 없어 셀프카메라 방식으로 연주를 촬영했다. 수익이 전무했지만, 강의를 올릴 때마다 보람을 상당했다.”

“I recorded the drum lesson using self-camera coz I couldn’t afford to pay a cameraman. I made no profit, but it was incredibly worth while.”

He keeps this teaching activity even until now. He teaches applicable music in university lectures. He gives concert training that wasn’t applied in campuses before. But Chae Je Min always devote his spare time to gather all theories for his teaching material. Because he believes that it’s the right way to educate.

To him, in education, the most important thing is “joy.” He helps his students find what they like from the music they choose. In reality, the condition of the music industry is not good. Among his graduated students, approximately only 10% continues doing music. He feels strongly responsible as a person who is doing music right on stage. He feels sorry to his students. Although he teaches, he knows fairly well. How rough the path to be a musician is in the Republic of Korea.

“마지막 수업에서 ‘최고가 돼라’고 당부하는 내 모습에 슬픔을 느낀 적이 많다.”

“In last lectures, asking my students to “Be the Best”, a lot of times I feel sad.”

The drumsticks that’s been with him for 25 years. It also went through so many difficult times. It’s all thanks to the band that he could make it up to now. The feeling of fellowship and responsibility given by an organization, comes to be a driving force that keep him doing music.

“함께 해야 모든 쉽게 이겨낼 수 있다. 제자들에게 밴드를 권하는 것도 모두 이 때문이다.”

“We can do anything easily when we’re together. That’s why I always advise my students to be in a band.”

Chae Je Min, he dreams to eternally be Boohwal member. Somewhere along the way, Boohwal becomes a family. It’s not always harmonious, but it’s comfortable and he has overflowing attachment to it. He does not fear to walk the path before him, he’s reassured. He has faith. That he will always be with Boohwal until the end. That’s why the silent drumstick feels so light.

This was the very first song ever written by Kim Tae-Won when he was sitting in the second grade of high school. This is the story of a teenage boy losing his first love.

This song was released in Boohwal’s 1st album, “Rock Will Never Die,” released in 1986. Naturally, the original singer was Lee Seung-Chul. This song was the second track in the album.

This song is still very, very much, brought by the band in their live stage, usually as the closing song. Sometimes as anchor song. Anyways, it has to be at the end of the live concert ^^

Honestly, I never paid attention to the lyrics. I only like the part where Tae-Won Oppa sings. It just feels so powerful. Maybe because this is his story, that he gets to deliver that feeling in the accuracy and the exactness of the emotion.

Now, the following video is a recent version of this song. And as footnote, I could be found in the video if one looks carefully~and if one knows how I look like, of course (lol). It was shot on April 6th, 2010, and aired on EBS Space TV on May 7th, 2010.

비와 당신의 이야기(The Story of You and the Rain)

.

아이가 눈이 오길 바라듯이 (as a child hoping for the snow to come)

비는 너를 그리워 하네~ (the rain says it misses you)

비의 낭만보다는~ 비의 따스함 보다~ (compared to the romanticism of the rain ~ compared to the warmth of the rain)

그날의 애절한 너를 잊지 못함 이기에~ (because I can’t forget the mournful you on that day)

P.S. I forgot to mention that this song was also reproduced in Boohwal’s 8th album, released in 2002 – that’s when Lee Seung-Cheul returned to Boohwal just for this album. There’s no Boohwal’s album with Jeong Dong-Ha ‘s version of this song.

Spring 1990. There was a loud cheer in the Seo Jae-Hyuck’s church. They heard a surprising news. Jin Yeong-Seong, the bassist of the band “Black Rose” was appointed the church choir conductor. Seo Jae-Hyuck’s idolized “Black Rose.” With “Mugunghwa” and “Horang Nabi,” they were Seoul’s top three bands. Seo Jae-Hyuck, who learned bass autodidactly, was confident that he had nothing more to learn. Thus he was fluttering. It was like he was gonna be acknowledged by a maestro.

It wasn’t a mere confidence. He has been playing various musical instruments since he was little. Acoustic, electric guitar, piano, drum… he plays them all like an expert. He first had his eyes on bass in the second year of junior high school. He bought his friend’s bass half price, and practiced everyday with it.

He learned them all by self-learning. Music program on TV was his manual. He recorded the TV programs where Lee Mun-Se, Lee Tae-Yoon, Songgolme and watched them over and over to follow. That’s how he got used to the slap styles and others, and he was proud of it. He always aroused exclamations from his friends. Envious look around him. Seo Jae0Hyuck was getting sky-high little by little.

With four friends he visited the house of Jin Yeong-Seong. They played the bass in front of his house. Seo Jae-Hyuck was the last performer. As if ridiculing his friends’ performances, he showed all of his techniques. However, the feedback was disappointing. 직접 베이스를 만져가며 문제점을 지적했다.

Jin Yeong-Seong didn’t have his eyes on Seo Jae-Hyuck. He’s not talented enough. The reason was his long and thin fingers. In dealing with Western musical instruments, it’s a disadvantageous physical requirement. He never put interest on Seo Jae-Hyuck. 그는 오기가 발동했다. He wanted to get his confidence back. Firmly determined, he was absorbed into practicing once again. The retreat he joined during the summer vacation was his starting line. He played the bass from 5 o’clock in the morning until the sun sets.

“하루 평균 18시간 동안 베이스와 함께했다. 아마 찬송가는 거의 다 연주했을 거다.”

“I spent an average of 18 hours a day with bass. I might have played all of the hymn songs.”

His skills develop so much he wasn’t lagging even when compared to a professional musician. At one point he was most favorited to be recruited in a band in his vicinity. He enjoyed the stage performance. Thus his name was in as many as 5 different bands. His instrument of choice was not limited to bass. Drum, guitar, keyboard, and many others. He also sings bariton in a choir (could be duet, trio, or quartet).

A smooth highway in music. But his school grades were falling head over heels. From the top 5 ranking that he used to frequent, he dropped to below 40. He was not the least concern about it. Since the first year of high school, he’s made up his mind that he wanted to enter Seoul Institute of Arts and become a musician.

The problem was his family was against his will. His mother wished that his eldest son could enter university and live a normal life of a salaryman. She wanted him to concentrate on his studies so much that she’d even suggested the family to move to a place with a better environment. However, his son was stubborn (firm) with his intentions. So she put on some requirements. If he’d enter the university for 4 years, she’d buy him musical instrument. Seeing something of his appeal. Seo Jae-Hyuck gave up Seoul Institute of Arts. He entered the physics department in Suwon University instead.